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Thursday, May 16, 2013

Rhode Island Aquaponics A Home Aquaponics Experiment

We've been talking about Aquaponics on the show, and thought this would be a good model for you to look at and get familiar with what is going on in the new world--even home unit--of sustainable food production.In the early days of Aquaponics and hydroponics, there was great skepticism on the quality of the fish--thinking they, too, would suffer, as does cattle, from a lack of space and exercise. However, the current data suggest the quality is excellent with no deprivation due to smaller spaces.You will see and hear a lot more--pros and cons--right here as we follow the story and the technology:

Wikipedia defines aquaponics as: Aquaponics (pronounced: /ˈækwəˈpɒnɨks/) is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In the aquaculture, effluents accumulate in the water, increasing toxicity for the fish. This water is led to a hydroponic system where the by-products from the aquaculture are filtered out by the plants as vital nutrients, after which the cleansed water is recirculated back to the animals. The term aquaponics is a portmanteau of the terms aquaculture and hydroponic.